The Ghosts I Called
by YugamiYoshitsune
Summary: Noticing that Athena cannot bring herself to believe that her mother loved her in the wake of his confession in AA:DD, Simon decides to arrange for a channeling. However, facing Metis Cykes turns out to be emotionally difficult for not just her daughter... AA:DD spoilers, gen.


More than a few people stared at the two oddly-clothed figures, one imposingly tall and striding along with wide steps, the other slight and somewhat timid-looking, but yet somehow keeping up with the first.

_"Is there some sort of cosplay event in town?"_

_"Nah, I've seen that guy on the news… it's that prosecutor, the 'Twisted Samurai.'"_

_"Who's the girl in purple?"_

_"Beats me, but those robes look familiar…"_

Pearl managed to gnaw on her thumb while taking three steps for every one of Simon's.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Mr. Blackquill…?"

He nodded slightly. "If it turns out not to be, I will be the one to deal with the consequences, Fey-dono. Don't worry yourself."

Pearl Fey had begun visiting him at his office shortly after his exoneration, when he had only met her a few fleeting times. The first time she had come around, she had timidly shown up in the door behind one of his legal aides, saying, _"Hello, Mr. Prosecutor Blackquill, sir…I just came to town to visit the agency, but no one's there, so I thought I'd come by and say hello, and congratulations on being free…oh goodness, this place is messy!"_

He had realized fairly quickly that the girl had had two primary motives in coming by: For one, she was fascinated by Taka, and his feathered companion adored her for some reason. For another, she kept referring to Athena as his _Special Someone_, giving him the feeling that she did _not _mean it in a way to which he would agree, even if she _was _special to him.

Still, Pearl was mostly quiet and amused herself with his hawk whenever she came by for a spell, and his office usually sparkled by the time she left, so he did not really have a reason to throw her out.

Truth be told, at this juncture, he found himself glad that he had not denied her entry that first time, as she was instrumental in solving a problem that had been troubling him more and more lately.

After he had been allowed to leave the courthouse without shackles for the first time, he had joined the Wright Agency's customary victory festivities. Everything had gone reasonably well, until he had begun reminiscing about Metis Cykes. He had not been able to foresee Athena's reaction.

_"Can we please stop talking about her for now…? I just…I can't think anymore about this right now. Let's just celebrate your freedom, okay?"_

A week later, neither one of them had been stuck with a case for once, and they had had dinner together. When Simon had brought up Metis, Athena's facial expression had immediately closed off.

_"What's the matter, Athena?"_

_"You keep talking about her…why do you keep bringing her up?"_

_"She's your _mother. _Why do you _not _want to talk about her?"_

She had sighed.

_"…I know you said she loved me, Simon, and I know that you believe that with all your heart, but…"_

Athena had not had to finish her explanation for him to realize what she meant. _…but you don't._

The following weeks, she had avoided him, and Pearl had insisted on coming by and keeping him updated on her emotional status. Actually, the purple-robed girl had smacked him soundly in the arm during the first visit after the disastrous dinner, calling him a "meanie" for making Athena sad. He supposed that, in an odd way, he had deserved it.

Athena, meanwhile, had apparently become quiet and her smiles rare. If the question of whether her mother had truly loved was, in fact, still what was bothering her, Simon felt that he had an obligation to prove it to her, to somehow make her see that Metis had not just been all about hounding her to wear the headphones or go to bed on time.

That was where Pearl Fey came in. During her visits to his office, the girl had begun relating things from her daily life to him while she whirled around his office with a feather duster. She had mentioned Kurain Village, which had only rung a dim, legal-related bell in his mind, but when she had started talking about channeling the dead, he had at first dismissed her with a sarcastic laugh, talking about "mumbo-jumbo" and "balderdash."

Pearl had immediately crossed her arms indignantly. _"Okay, show me a picture of a dead person."_

He had dug up a photograph of his deceased grandmother from his desk drawer with a cynical smirk, thinking that he might as well indulge her harmless little fantasy, considering that she _did _regularly clean his office.

Five minutes later, he had sat in his chair with cold sweat on his brow, staring as if he had just seen a ghost. Well, he literally _had._

Pearl, once again in her own form, had sat in the visitor's chair with a smile. _"Do you believe me now, Mr. Blackquill?"_

A few days afterwards, he had faced Athena and Justice in court, and he had been appalled to see her so quiet, only on occasion mumbling suggestions to her legal partner and not once raising an objection of her own.

During Pearl's next visit, he had made his request.

They were now on their way to the Wright Anything Agency together, where Pearl would channel the spirit of Metis Cykes.

Simon had had to resort to underhanded tactics to get her to agree; the girl had refused at first, saying that they should talk to Athena about this beforehand. However, she had relented when he had stated that his _Special Someone _was currently upset due to a matter relating to her dead mother.

In fact, Pearl had teared up a little. _"Oh, I understand now… you've known her for such a long time, and seeing you reminds her of her mom, right? Okay… I still don't know whether this is such a great idea, but I'll do it."_

He had given her a picture of Metis, a copy of the original on Aura's desk, which was more than a little wrinkled and faded due to having been carried around in his pocket for seven years, but still showed her countenance clearly enough.

_Athena was so young back then, of course she didn't understand. This will convince her._

Pearl had gone to the agency before showing up at Simon's office today, informing him that Wright and Justice were apparently out on an investigation – the perfect opportunity for his plan to come to fruition.

Ten minutes later, he sharply rapped on the door of the Wright Agency rented office space near People Park, the young spirit medium standing behind him and once again nervously chewing on her thumb.

Only a few short moments passed before Athena pulled the door open.

"Simon…? What brings you here?"

He chose to ignore her question for now and asked one of his own instead.

"Are you currently occupied with anything?"

She shook her head. "Not really, the boss and Apollo are out on a case, and I haven't had any other clients come in. Why?"

Simon still evaded her inquiry. _I'd rather not have to force this issue, but I won't have you close the door in my face._

"May we come in, then?"

"'We'…?"

He stepped aside, revealing Pearl's presence, and Athena's expression now changed from slightly puzzled to profoundly bewildered. "Pearly…? Why are you here with _him_?"

The girl looked as though she might bite straight through her thumb any moment.

"Um, Mr. Blackquill asked me for a favor…"

Simon cleared his throat and decided on a tactical advance into enemy territory before his motives would be revealed prematurely.

"Yes, well, we can discuss this further _inside. _Come, Fey-dono."

His step forward had Athena reflexively moving out of the way, and a short time later, he and Pearl were seated on one of the agency's couches.

The young defense lawyer had apparently had just about enough of not knowing what was going on; hands on her hips, she demanded without so much as offering refreshments or attempting to make small talk, "All right, so what is all this about? Pearly, this isn't you going on about Simon being my _Special Someone _again, isn't it?"

Her eyes wandered to Simon. "… _mein Gott_, you didn't let her set us up for anything, did you?"

She began to nervously pull her fingers through her long side ponytail.

He shook his head, his amusement evident on his face. "Fear not; the reason for my visit is something entirely different."

That caught Athena's interest. "Which would be…?"

The moment of truth had come; as unobtrusively as he could, Simon took a deep breath, and stated, "I would like to reintroduce you to someone you have not seen in a long time."

She was perplexed. "But I see Pearly pretty regularly… wait. Hold on. You aren't referring to what she can do…?!"

Seeing that she had already deduced what he was proposing, he nodded.

"You have seemed troubled lately. I feel responsible for having been a part in causing you this distress, and so I have asked Fey-dono for her assistance."

For a moment, something resembling panic flickered in Athena's eyes.

"I don't know if right now is a good time…"

He raised an eyebrow behind his fringe. "You just stated that you were not occupied with anything at the moment."

Then, Simon's voice softened slightly, but certainly more than enough for Athena's sensitive hearing to pick up on it. "Please, Athena… this uncertainty is unsettling you. I do not need to be able to peer into your heart to see it. I know this is difficult, but perhaps it will give you closure."

He knew he had won when she closed her eyes and sighed. "Fine… as long as you stay here and meet her with me."

Simon had _not _intended to remain in the room, as he did not wish to butt in on this opportunity of Athena and her mother to have a conversation as two adults, nor to prevent any potential tearful admissions due to a misguided sense of decorum in his presence. Yet, if she required him to stay in order to consent to the channeling, stay he would.

"Very well. Fey-dono, if you could…?"

Pearl nodded and got up, only to seat herself on her shins on the carpeted floor. Athena moved to take the spot on the couch next to Simon as the girl's features began to shimmer and change.

A short while later, Metis Cykes opened her eyes.

"Athena…? Goodness, you have grown so much since I saw you last…"

Noticing that Simon had averted his eyes from the embodied spirit of her mother, Athena awkwardly raised a hand. "Hi, Mom… well, it's been seven years since…"

Metis nodded her understanding. "Since I was murdered. There is no time where I am now, but I had an idea that it had been a while when I was called."

She rose from the floor, giving her daughter a gentle smile. "It is so good to see you, Athena. You look so well, and so lively… I wish I could have seen you like this more when I was still alive…"

Her daughter could not help but smile back. "I'm a lawyer now, Mom… this place is where I work, the Wright Anything Agency."

Metis' voice betrayed her happy surprise. "A lawyer, at your young age? How wonderful. I am so proud of you!"

Athena then heard a small noise behind her and turned toward Simon, who was still resolutely looking away. He looked more than a little disturbed, and his heart was heavy with sadness.

_He's taking this much worse than I am._

Metis had now taken notice of him, as well. "Simon Blackquill, is that you?"

The channeled woman's face fell when she beheld the way he had changed.

"Whatever have these last seven years done to you? You look more like a ghost than I do!"

Having been addressed directly, Simon turned his face toward Athena's mother, his eyes hidden in the dark shadows cast by his fringe.

"It is of no consequence," he responded quietly, but Athena could hear a sharp spike of pain in his heart.

Metis did not have the benefit of her daughter's hearing, but she, too, seemed to know that he was lying.

"I was your mentor in analytical psychology; do not try to deceive me. You have clearly suffered for a long time, and your refusal to tell me indicates that your burden is in some way connected to me."

Athena nodded sadly as her mother came over to the couch, moving over to let the channeled woman sit down between them. "Yeah, I'm afraid it is, Mom…"

Simon threw her a pointed glare. "Don't. We are not here to talk about me."

Metis ignored him, turning toward Athena. "Tell me, _ohime-chan_. I need to know."

Her daughter started. _Ohime-chan_. "Little princess." That had been her nickname as a child. That had been how Aura Blackquill's sarcastic appellation had started, even though her mother's voice had always sounded gentle when she had said it. Now she remembered.

Giving her mother a wavering, sad smile, she responded, "It's a really, really bad story, and it just ended a few weeks ago…"

When Athena hesitated for a moment, Metis reinforced her request with a soft, "Please, little one…"

Once again, the memories came back. The soft, pleading tone when her mother had tried to get her to wear the hated headphones. The way she had never raised her voice when she had taken them off in a fit of anger at the noise, only looked on sadly.

Athena took a deep breath. "Simon was convicted for your murder. He made a false confession to protect me from becoming suspect number one, went to jail for seven years, and was scheduled to be executed the next day by the time my boss and I managed to reveal the real killer."

Metis' hands flew to her mouth, her eyes widening. Turning to Simon, she asked, "You spent seven years in jail…? You stared death in the face to protect her for me…?"

He did not meet her eyes. "It was my duty."

Athena's mother looked skeptical now. "While I will be eternally grateful for what you have done for us, you must know that I would have never asked so much of you…"

Simon's right hand rose to his face, coming to a rest across his eyes.

"You did not have to. I asked it of myself, for I am the reason you died in the first place."

His heart spoke of sadness and guilt so deep and pervasive that it made Athena shiver. _Oh Simon…you think your work on the Phantom case is to blame, don't you…?_

Metis, too, had made the connection; she raised a slim hand to his shoulder, making gentle contact. "I freely agreed to help you with the analysis, and I have no regrets in that regard, as long as it was useful. Athena said that she and her employer managed to reveal the real killer when they freed you…"

It was easy to understand what she was implying. _So it must have been of use, and I have not died in vain._

Simon remained quiet, although his shoulders shook traitorously a few times. The eerie silence with which he cried, likely learned after years of hiding his tears in jail, made it impossible for Athena to hear the voice of his heart, but she had a feeling she did not need to in this instance.

Her mother wordlessly sat between them, now soothingly rubbing circles on her former student's broad back, until he removed his hand from his eyes and sighed.

Then, Metis smiled. "If you wish to repay me for the work we accomplished together, please don't blame yourself any longer. The only regret I had was that I did not get to see my little girl grow into a woman, and now that I have been given the chance to see her so lively and well-situated, I can be at peace."

She turned to Athena, and before the young lawyer knew what was happening, her mother wrapped her arms around her in an embrace.

"My child, my _ohime-chan_… Please watch out for him as he did for you. Oh, and… if, perchance, we all get to meet again before both of you join me in the realm of the dead, a little homework for all of us: Let's make that next meeting more joyous, life is too short and too precious for regrets and shouldering of blame."

Athena hugged her back fiercely, hearing her mother's love in every soft syllable and feeling it in her touch. Now she was the one tearing up, and a few drops of salty moisture fell on the shoulder part of Pearl's purple channeling robes.

"I'll keep that in mind, Mom… and I hope we can see each other again soon."

Metis' arms tightened around her. "I love you, Athena."

The dam burst; suddenly, Athena was sobbing. "I… I love you too, Mom. I didn't understand you back then, and I'm so sorry that I complained about the headphones all the time, and…"

"Shh," her mother soothed. "It's all right. It is a parent's lot to be misunderstood by her child sometimes, and if I had explained things to you better… but I just said that we wouldn't shoulder blame anymore, so I suppose I should stick to my own rules. Just please… never forget that I always loved you, and I always will, even from the afterlife."

Athena wiped at her face when Metis let go of her. "Mom… thank you."

Metis smiled. "No thanks are necessary, except one: Live a good life, for me, _ohime-chan._"

She returned to the seated position on the floor in which she had awoken to the channeling. "The person who has called me wants to return, so I will leave you now."

Her gaze once more wandered to Simon, and this time, he met her eyes. "Simon, you were a wonderful student, and I can never thank you enough for your sacrifice. I wish for you to live a good life, as well. After hearing your story, I am sure that, if the two of you continue to look out for each other, nothing can stand in your way. Good bye…"

Metis' features had already begun to waver by the time Simon found his tongue. "It is I who has to thank you, M… Cykes-sensei."

As Pearl was gradually changing back to her own form, Athena turned toward her childhood friend in amazement, as she had just received an emotion from him she had not expected.

"Simon, you and my mother… you weren't…?"

He hastily shook his head. "N-no."

Now she understood. _But you wanted to. _

Truthfully, the thought of Metis Cykes having apparently turned both Blackquill siblings' heads was more than a little odd for her as her daughter. However she could not help but feel incredibly grateful to Simon for arranging the channeling, and for agreeing to stay in spite of the feelings he had harbored for her mother.

Without a second thought, she gave him a big sideways hug just like in the days of old. He made a small sound of surprise, and then smiled slightly.

"What is this for…?"

Athena grinned. "For having turned back into my big brother after all that time as the Twisted Samurai, you lug."

Her grin then softened into a true smile. "Thank you so, so much, Simon. For everything."

"It was my du…" He stopped himself. "You are welcome."

A happy sigh from the floor alerted them both to the fact that Pearl's transformation had finished. "Aww… looking at people being with their Special Someone always makes me feel all warm inside…"

Athena and Simon looked at each other, and suddenly, both of them were laughing, the sound of their voices vibrating in the air together nothing short of liberating.

Pearl looked a little hurt when she began gnawing on her thumb again. "I didn't say anything funny… did I?"

Simon was the first to get a hold of himself again. "Ah, no, Fey-dono, nothing humorous at all. Thank you very much for your help; as you can see, the channeling was a success."

He pointed to Athena, who smiled at the young spirit medium. "Yeah, thank you, Pearly. I can't tell you how much it means to me. Hey… after Mr. Wright and Apollo come back from their investigation, would you like to go and have some hot chocolate with Simon and me? My treat."

That got Pearl to forget about their little laughing fit. "That sounds nice, thanks, Athena."

The defense lawyer smacked her fist into her palm. "_Jawohl_, then it's decided!"

Widget added, **_Let's do it!_**

Simon raised an eyebrow. "I take it I don't get any say in this?"

His mock consternation got Athena to grin again. "Nope, you're going to escort us two fine young ladies to the café, like a proper samurai, and that's that. And then that proper samurai also gets some hot chocolate as a boon."

He bowed from the waist. "Your wish is my command, _ohime-sama._"

And after the two other lawyers of the Wright Anything Agency returned to the office, they did exactly what Athena had said.


End file.
